What a year it has been for our newspaper. We don’t do this for the accolades, but for our community, to shine a light on the talent rising in our backyard and across Ekurhuleni. Still, we are deeply grateful for the recognition.

When organisations like Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) acknowledge the hours spent on muddy cross-country fields and packed athletics meets, it reminds us why this work matters.

Credit to the CGA for understanding that no publicity is bad publicity and consistently giving us the space to do our job without interference.

The awards presented to me and the Benoni City Times at the CGA Awards on December 7 mean a great deal, but this is not about us.

It’s about a coach finally reaping the rewards of relentless graft.

This is about Michael van Aswegen, a coach whose commitment continues to push forward the heartbeat of local athletics.

Coach, this may sound biased, but it’s impossible to ignore the impact you’ve had on our young athletes. At the CGA Awards Gala, four of your charges stepped into the spotlight, a testament to the hard work, discipline and belief you’ve instilled in them.

And again, Chelsea van Dyk rose to the occasion, walking away with the promising young sportswoman award. Moments like these remind us that when preparation meets opportunity, excellence becomes inevitable.

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I’ve watched these kids grind through the heat of the track and field season. I saw them dominate their age groups at the CGA Championships at the UJ Athletics Stadium. The country witnessed Chelsea’s remarkable double, Michael Bekker’s electric performances and Jade Doran’s ascent to steeplechase royalty at the age-group champs in Cape Town.

We watched Chemené Mentz’s steady rise, Natalie Strydom growing with every stride, and the Lloyd sisters – Tamica and Shayla – flashing their raw potential. Zandrèh van der Merwe kept climbing, step by determined step.

Under your guidance, these youngsters stepped onto the international stage: Doran earning her junior colours at the CAA U18 and U20 Championships, Bekker and Mentz shining at the Region 5 Games in Namibia, and Chelsea stamping her authority at the COSSASA Games in Eswatini before closing her year with a dominant showing at the ASA Cross-Country Championships in Middelburg.

Coach, in the three years I’ve known you, your love for athletics has been unmistakable. Your commitment to the sport, the biggest in the country by participation, sets you apart as one of SA’s finest development coaches.

That’s why it stung to see the CGA development coach of the year accolade go elsewhere. With all respect to the winner, a tireless mentor who does outstanding work in challenging conditions on the West Rand, the metrics tell a different story. No CGA coach delivered success on your scale this year. The winner deserved recognition, yes, but you deserved it more.

So, hold your head high, coach. Keep building, nurturing and gifting SA with athletes who dream big and deliver bigger.

The accolades will catch up with you, because excellence always does.

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